¶¡ÏãÔ°AV

Animal Care Services (ACS) at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV is committed to providing faculty, staff and students with high quality, cost-effective research and teaching animal resources. In addition to suitable housing facilities and animal husbandry services for animals used in biomedical research, ACS provides veterinary services, personnel training and expertise in common laboratory methodologies, anaesthesia and surgical techniques for rodents, birds and fish. The ACS veterinary staff cares for all animals housed on campus, every day of the week, including holidays.

For more information please see our animal care resources for researchers.

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Why are Animals Used in Research?

Globally, animal research plays an essential role in generating new fundamental scientific knowledge to help support advancing the health of humans and animals as well as the sustainability of our environment.

Research using animal models have contributed to most of the world’s major life-saving and life-changing breakthroughs. For example, biomedical research has led to discoveries that have helped combat many diseases, such as the Alzheimer’s and cancer.

Canadian federal law requires that animal models be used to make assessments on the safety and effectiveness of pharmaceuticals as well as medical procedures and other therapies before human clinical trials are approved to commence.

In addition to humans benefiting from this research and testing, many of the same drugs and treatments developed for humans are used today by veterinarians, which are helping animals live longer and healthier lives. In fact, animals are susceptible to many of the same health issues as humans, such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

While great advances have been made in the use of non-animal models in research, there currently are no comprehensive scientifically proven alternatives to humane animal research. When animal research is necessary, there is rigorous oversight at multiple levels from funding applications through to protocol development and study monitoring.

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¶¡ÏãÔ°AV’s Commitment to the Three R’s in Practicing Ethical Animal Research

established by the federal government’s Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) are an integral part in the development of any research study at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV. The university requires its researchers to use the Three Rs when preparing for any animal-based research proposals or projects.

Over the past 40 years, the Three Rs have become widely accepted ethical principles and are now embedded in the conduct of animal-based scientific research in Canada and in many countries worldwide.

¶¡ÏãÔ°AV researchers make all conceivable efforts whenever possible to replace animals in their research with inanimate systems or non-animal models, minimize the number of animals studied, and refine husbandry and experimental procedures to minimize pain and distress for the animals involved. They also take into consideration whether working with more animals in a single study will help avoid the unnecessary participation of even more animals in a future study.

While mathematical and non-animal models are becoming increasingly sophisticated, in many circumstances they cannot replicate the complexity and unpredictability of living organisms.

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Animal Research at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV

¶¡ÏãÔ°AV researchers’ work with animals are helping advance leading-edge research and innovations to help tackle a diverse array of health, environmental and sustainability issues impacting our world.

Some examples include:

• research into diseases such as COVID-19, cancer and Alzheimer's;
• understanding and developing treatments for concussion and spinal cord injuries;
• developing conservation and biodiversity plans for endangered and dwindling animal populations;
• and understanding how species are adapting to chemical pollution and climate change.

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Management of Animal Research at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV

The management and oversight of animal research at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV are extensive, and occurs throughout the various stages of each research project.

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Funding Agencies

All proposed projects that will use animals are peer-reviewed by a panel of subject matter experts to determine the scientific merit of the project and its methodology, if they are to receive funding from granting agencies, including the Tri-Council Agency in Canada (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and Social Sciences and Humanities Council).

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¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Animal Care Committee

The ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Animal Care Committee (UACC) is an essential part of our animal care and research program. The committee has a duty to make informed ethical decisions with regards to the appropriateness of including animals in research and teaching. It is mandated to safeguard the welfare of animals involved in research and teaching on its campuses and at all locations where our research may occur. The UACC is responsible for ensuring that all ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV animal researchers conform to the mandatory guidelines of both ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV and the Canadian Council on Animal Care. The UACC, reports to the Vice-President, Research and Innovation Office, and its membership includes representatives from the community, a representative number of ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV departments that may or may not involve animals in research, and a veterinarian.

The UACC’s approval is required on all research and teaching activities involving vertebrate animals at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV and its affiliated locations, including the breeding of animals, pilot projects as well as funded and unfunded research.

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Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC)

The CCAC is the national organization responsible for setting and maintaining the highest standards for the care of animals involved in Canadian research. The Government of Canada on behalf of the public endorses CCAC standards for certification of animal care and use programs at all Canadian universities. The CCAC works to ensure that animal-based science in Canada takes place only when necessary and that the animals in studies receive optimal care according to high quality, research-informed standards.

The CCAC does a full assessment of ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV’s animal care research program every three years. ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV currently holds a CCAC Certificate of Good Animal Practice. ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV must be accredited by the CCAC to receive funding from the federal government, which funds most university research in Canada. If the university fails to comply with the CCAC’s guidelines, the council has legal authority to immediately suspend ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV’s animal care and research program.

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Post-Approval monitoring

In order to ensure that researchers adhere to UACC approved protocols, ongoing projects are subjected to routine audits and annual reviews by the UACC through its post-approval monitoring program. The review team, which includes a veterinarian, scientist and community member, monitors and frequently reviews the progress of research protocols and the care of animals in those studies.

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The ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV veterinarian and technical staff

¶¡ÏãÔ°AV veterinary staff regularly attend all ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV animal research facilities to observe and advise on animal research conduct, all technical procedures as well as general husbandry and animal welfare. They are available for animal care including 24-7 emergency services. One veterinarian and 8 technical staff are involved in the care of animals at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV.

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Animal welfare laws

Federal and provincial cruelty to animals legislation is strictly complied with at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV.

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Welfare Assessments

It is the responsibility of everyone working with animals at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV to ensure adherence to approved animal care protocols. In addition to regular veterinarian visits and external audits, ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV has a welfare incident process for identifying non-standard animal care practices. Anyone witnessing questionable animal care practices may report it anonymously or formally to the Director of Animal Care who is responsible for investigating the matter. Individuals may also report concerns to any ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV veterinarian or to the Animal Care Committee.

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CCAC Categories

The Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) divides the purposes for which we involve animals into six categories:

Purpose 0: Breeding
The number of animals in research involving breeding was 0 in 2023.

Purpose 1: Basic Research
98.8%of animals were part of ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV’s inquiries in science disciplines that include biology, psychology, physiology and biochemistry.Ìý

Purpose 2: Medical Research
This use of animals provides treatments for diseases that improve health care outcomes for both humans and animals. In 2023 there were 239 animals used in this category.

Purposes 3 and 4: Regulatory Testing
Canadian law dictates that animals be research models before humans in regulatory trials for drugs and general medical products. That requirement includes vaccines and medical hardware such as stents and heart valves. ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV makes every effort to minimize the number animals used for regulatory testing. In 2023, there were 3 animals used in this area at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV.

Purpose 5: Educational Purposes
Educational use of research animals is limited at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV. ÌýAll animal use in teaching at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV must be approved by individual faculties, undergo pedagogical review, and be approved by the UACC. Where possible, vertebrate animals are replaced by invertebrates. 68 were used for educational purposes in 2023.

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By Canadian Council on Animal Care category of invasiveness (CI)

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Categories of invasiveness	Total	Percentage
A	490	1.72
B	23467	82.35
C	3147	11.04
D	1391	4.88
E	0	0

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How were the animals involved in research?

The CCAC divides animal research into five Categories of Invasiveness (A to E). Category A includes most experiments involving tissue cultures, eggs and single-cell organisms, and most invertebrates and does not require annual reporting.

More than 90% of animals involved in research at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV in 2023 fall under categories B or C. The invasiveness ranges from little discomfort and stress to minor stress and pain. For a wide range of animals this could include observation in the wild, brief periods of restraint for tagging, taking blood samples and minor surgical biopsies under anesthesia. In Category D studies, rated for moderate to severe distress or discomfort, 4% of the number of animals were involved in 2023. No animals were involved in category E studies.

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¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Animal Numbers - AUDF Totals 2020-2023

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2020

The CCAC PAUs are divided into six specific categories:Ìý	TotalsÌý	PercentageÌý
PAU 0: Breeding coloniesÌýÌý	377Ìý	3.14Ìý
PAU 1:Fundamental studiesÌýÌý	7432Ìý	61.88Ìý
PAU 2: Medical studies, including veterinary medicineÌýÌý	818Ìý	6.81Ìý
PAU 3: Regulatory testingÌýÌý	818Ìý	6.81Ìý
PAU 4: Development of productsÌýÌý	872Ìý	7.26Ìý
PAU 5: Educational purposesÌýÌý	1693Ìý	14.10Ìý

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The CCAC CIs are divided into five specific categories:Ìý	 ÌýTotals	 P±ð°ù³¦±ð²Ô³Ù²¹²µ±ðÌý
CI A: Procedures involving most invertebrates or live isolatesÌýÌý	66Ìý	0.55Ìý
CI B: Procedures which cause little or no discomfort or stressÌý	908Ìý	7.57Ìý
CI C: Procedures which cause minor stress or pain of short durationÌýÌý	6320Ìý	52.66Ìý
CI D: Procedures which cause severe distress or discomfortÌý	4707Ìý	39.22Ìý
CI E: Procedures which cause severe pain near, at, or above the pain tolerance threshold of unanaesthetized conscious animalsÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý

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Animal Use TypeÌý	 Totals Ìý	 PercentageÌý
RodentsÌý	945Ìý	7.85Ìý
FishÌý	5640Ìý	46.88Ìý
AmphibiansÌý	110Ìý	0.91Ìý
ReptilesÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý
Other small mammalsÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý
Other large mammalsÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý
Marine mammalsÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý
OtherÌý	5337Ìý	44.36Ìý
Total Number of AnimalsÌýÌý	12032Ìý	Ìý

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2021

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The CCAC PAUs are divided into six specific categories:Ìý	TotalsÌý	PercentageÌý
·         PAU 0: Breeding coloniesÌýÌý	85Ìý	0.30Ìý
·         PAU 1:Fundamental studiesÌýÌý	28351Ìý	99.50Ìý
·         PAU 2: Medical studies, including veterinary medicineÌýÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý
·         PAU 3: Regulatory testingÌýÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý
·         PAU 4: Development of productsÌýÌý	57Ìý	0.20Ìý
·         PAU 5: Educational purposesÌýÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý

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The CCAC CIs are divided into five specific categories:Ìý	 TotalsÌý	 ÌýPercentageÌý
·         CI A: Procedures involving most invertebrates or live isolatesÌýÌý	28Ìý	0.10Ìý
·         CI B: Procedures which cause little or no discomfort or stressÌý	1579Ìý	5.54Ìý
·         CI C: Procedures which cause minor stress or pain of short durationÌýÌý	19970Ìý	70.11Ìý
·         CI D: Procedures which cause severe distress or discomfortÌý	6907Ìý	24.25Ìý
·         CI E: Procedures which cause severe pain near, at, or above the pain tolerance threshold of unanaesthetized conscious animalsÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý

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Animal Use TypeÌý	  Totals	  Percentage
RodentsÌý	862Ìý	2.97Ìý
FishÌý	26964Ìý	93.03Ìý
AmphibiansÌý	78Ìý	0.27Ìý
ReptilesÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý
Other small mammalsÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý
Other large mammalsÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý
Marine mammalsÌý	506Ìý	1.75Ìý
OtherÌý	573Ìý	1.98Ìý
Total Number of AnimalsÌýÌý	28983Ìý	Ìý

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2022

The CCAC PAUs are divided into six specific categories:Ìý	TotalsÌý	PercentageÌý
·         PAU 0: Breeding coloniesÌýÌý	4Ìý	7.27Ìý
·         PAU 1:Fundamental studiesÌýÌý	45Ìý	81.82Ìý
·         PAU 2: Medical studies, including veterinary medicineÌýÌý	2Ìý	3.64Ìý
·         PAU 3: Regulatory testingÌýÌý	1Ìý	0.02Ìý
·         PAU 4: Development of productsÌýÌý	1Ìý	1.82Ìý
·         PAU 5: Educational purposesÌýÌý	2Ìý	3.64Ìý

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The CCAC CIs are divided into five specific categories:Ìý	  Totals	  Percentage
·         CI A: Procedures involving most invertebrates or live isolatesÌýÌý	1Ìý	1.79Ìý
·         CI B: Procedures which cause little or no discomfort or stressÌý	30Ìý	53.57Ìý
·         CI C: Procedures which cause minor stress or pain of short durationÌýÌý	20Ìý	35.71Ìý
·         CI D: Procedures which cause severe distress or discomfortÌý	5Ìý	8.93Ìý
·         CI E: Procedures which cause severe pain near, at, or above the pain tolerance threshold of unanaesthetized conscious animalsÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý

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Animal Use TypeÌý	  Totals	  Percentage
RodentsÌý	1418Ìý	7.80Ìý
FishÌý	15995Ìý	87.96Ìý
AmphibiansÌý	308Ìý	1.69Ìý
ReptilesÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý
Other small mammalsÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý
Other large mammalsÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý
Marine mammalsÌý	11Ìý	0.06Ìý
OtherÌý	452Ìý	2.49Ìý
Total Number of AnimalsÌýÌý	18184Ìý	 Ìý

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2023

The CCAC PAUs are divided into six specific categories:Ìý	TotalsÌý	PercentageÌý
·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý PAU 0: Breeding coloniesÌýÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý
·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý PAU 1:Fundamental studiesÌýÌý	28035Ìý	98.78Ìý
·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý PAU 2: Medical studies, including veterinary medicineÌýÌý	239Ìý	0.84Ìý
·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý PAU 3: Regulatory testingÌýÌý	3Ìý	0.00Ìý
·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý PAU 4: Development of productsÌýÌý	36Ìý	0.13Ìý
·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý PAU 5: Educational purposesÌýÌý	68Ìý	0.24Ìý

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The CCAC CIs are divided into five specific categories:Ìý	Ìý Totals	Ìý Percentage
·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý CI A: Procedures involving most invertebrates or live isolatesÌýÌý	490Ìý	1.72Ìý
·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý CI B: Procedures which cause little or no discomfort or stressÌý	23467Ìý	82.35Ìý
·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý CI C: Procedures which cause minor stress or pain of short durationÌýÌý	3147Ìý	11.04Ìý
·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý CI D: Procedures which cause severe distress or discomfortÌý	1391Ìý	4.88Ìý
·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý CI E: Procedures which cause severe pain near, at, or above the pain tolerance threshold of unanaesthetized conscious animalsÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý

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Animal Use TypeÌý	Ìý Totals	Ìý Percentage
RodentsÌý	857Ìý	3.01Ìý
FishÌý	25960Ìý	91.10Ìý
AmphibiansÌý	417Ìý	1.46Ìý
ReptilesÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý
Other small mammalsÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý
Other large mammalsÌý	0Ìý	0.00Ìý
Marine mammalsÌý	140Ìý	0.49Ìý
OtherÌý	1121Ìý	3.93Ìý
Total Number of AnimalsÌýÌý	28495Ìý	Ìý

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